One of the first healings I experienced in Christian Science occurred when I sprained my ankle. I had done this frequently for years, and the sprain was always accompanied by pain and swelling. On this occasion my companion's silent and audible declarations of truth, which at that time meant little to me, enabled me to walk within two minutes, and in the nine years since then I have never again sprained an ankle.
The healing that has meant the most to me was one that needed a period of years for its accomplishment. A severe skin rash on the legs of our second child appeared when he was a year old. When our younger son was less than six months old, a similar condition appeared on his face and soon covered his entire body. At the same time it also began to spread to the arms of the older boy. When infection set in, it was healed with the help of the practitioner who prayerfully supported us through much of this experience.
Several times the older boy manifested the rash on the rest of his body, but at each appearance we vigorously denied that an erroneous condition has the power to develop and declared the truth that there is only spiritual growth. With that the rash would disappear again except on his arms and legs. In spite of our earnest study, the condition did not yield. Belief in heredity had to be eradicated; criticism from some who were not Christian Scientists had to be met lovingly; and self-condemnation because the healing had not been gained had to be overcome.
